Wheel for vehicles.



PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

G. A. SCHULTZ. WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.17. 1905.

NITD STATES PATENT @FFTGE.

Specification of .Letters Patent.

Patented Apri124, 1906.

Application filed April 17, 1905. Serial No. 256,971.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE A. SCHULTZ, a citizen of-the United States,residing at Hawkeye, in the county of Fayette and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheels for Vehicles; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wheels for vehicles; and its object is toprovide a device of this characterhaving a spring-supported hub, wherebyrubber tires such as are ordinarily employed may be dispensed with, butall the beneficial results accruing from the use of such tires retained.

' Another object is to provide means whereby the spring-supports of thehub may be tensloned to support different weights, thereby rendering thewheel serviceable for either light or heavy vehicles.

Nith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of awheel the spokes of which are connected at their inner ends to a ringwhich surrounds the hub of the wheel, but is spaced therefrom.Similarly-disposed bow-springs are connected to the hub at regularintervals and are fastened at their outer ends to the ring. Means areprovided whereby the tension of all the springs may be simultaneduslyincreased 'or diminished.

The invention also consists of the further novel constructions andcombinations of parts hereinafter more fully described, and pointed outin the claims.

the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferred form of myinvention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva tion of a wheel constructedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig.1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the hub, showing the mannerof connecting the springs thereto.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 1 are the spokeswhich connect the rim 2 of'the wheel with a ring 3, having a continuousgroove 4 in its inner face, which con stitutes a seat for anadjusting-ring 5. This ring is held normally against movement within thegroove by means of a set screw 6, which extends through ring 3 and isadapted to clamp on the adjusting-ring 5. A hub 7, having annularflanges 8 at the ends thereof,

' is surrounded by the rings 3 and 5 and has holding-pins 9, which aremounted in the flanges 8 and extend through eyes 10, formed at one endof bow-springs 11. These s rings are all similar and project through hodingloops 12, which are secured to the ring 3, and the outer ends of thesprings are fastened in any desired manner to the adjusting-ring 5. Byreferring to Fig. 3 it will be noticed that the eyes 10 are so formed inrelation to the main portions of the springs 11 that when the ends ofthe springs are pressed toward each other the inner ends 13 thereof formbraces for the main or body portions of the springs, and there is nodanger of the eyes 10 being forced open, as would be the case ifpressure upon the springs had a tendency to force the main portionsthereof away from the ends 13.

shortening the distance between the pin 9 and holding-loop 12 of eachspring 11 said spring will be capable of supporting a heavier weightthan by increasing the distance between said points. Therefore if it isdesired to adjust the tension of the s rings so as to adapt the wheelfor use upon eavy vehicles the set-screw 6 is loosened from ring 5 andsaid ring is rotated within the groove 4, so as to draw the springs 11 adesired distance through their res ective loops 12. Ring 5 can then bequic :ly locked against further movement by means of the set-screw 6. Ifit'is desired to increase the length of the working portions of thesprings, so as to adapt the wheel for use on light vehicles, the ring 5can be turned in the opposite direction, so as to bring the outer endsof the springs close to their respective retainingloops 12. It will benote that the ring 5 is rotatable within the groove 4, but is alwaysheld concentric with the ring 3 and is prevented from moving laterallwithin the groove 4 by the side walls 0 said groove. The resilient areaof the s rings 11 can therefore be increased or diminished withoutmoving any portion of said springs laterall Instead the hub 1 is alwaysmaintains in the same relation to the plane in which'ring 3 is disposed.a

It will be seen that this wheel is very simple and ve inexpensive inconstruction and embodies al the advanta es incident to the use ofpneumatic tires. it has the further the wheel can be adjusted to suitdifferent It will of course be understood that by advantage, however, inthat the resiliency of kinds of vehicles, Whereas when pneumatic tiresare employed this result can only be obtained by employing differenttires or increasing the'air-pressure within the tires.

' In the foregoing description I have shown the preferred form of myinvention; but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware thatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit orsacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right tomake such changes as fairly fall within the scope of m invention.

Having thus full-y escribed my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wheel embodyin in its structure a series of springs, rotatab emeans for simultaneously increasing or diminishing the resilient area ofthe springs, and means for preventing movement of said meanslaterally-in relation to the wheel.

'2. A wheel comprising a ring, a rim connected thereto, a hub, an aduSting rin movably connected to the first-mentione ring, sprin s securedat opposite'ends to the hub and adjusting-ring, and means for look ingthe adjusting ring against movement.

3. A wheel com rising a ring, a rim'connected thereto, a ub, springsconnected to the hub, means for holding the springs upon the ring, andmeans for sliding the springs within the ring.

4.'A wheel comprising a ring and a rim connected thereto, a hub, springsconnecting the hub andring, and means for simultaneously increasing ordiminishing the tension of the springs, said means being held againstlateral and longitudinal movement by the ring.

5. A wheel comprisin a ring and a rim connected thereto, a hubow-springs connected to the hub and ring, and means for simultaneouslyincreasing or diminishing the tension of the springs, said means beingheld against lateral and longitudinal movement by the ring.

6. A wheel comprising a ring and a rimconnected thereto, a hub,bow-springs extending from the hub and slidably connected to the ring,and means within the ring for simultaneously operating the springs to.increase or diminish their tension.

7 A wheel comprising a ring and arimconnected thereto, a hub,bow-springs ex-.

tending from the hub, retaining loops secured to the ring and formingguides for the 4 springs, and means for drawing the'springs 1 thesprings throughthe loops and a locking A I v 1' v 9. A wheel comprisin aring and a rim devicefor said means.

connected thereto, a hu bow -springs. ex-

tending from the hub, holding-loo s secured.

to the ring and forming guides for-t e springs, an adjusting-ringsurrounding and secured to the springs, and means for locking said ringagainst movement.

10. A wheel comprising a grooved ring and a rim connected thereto, ahub, bow-springs extending from the hub, retaining-loops secured to thering and forming gui es for'the springs, an adj usting-ringrotatablymounted- Within the groove and secured to the springs, andmeans for locking the adjusting ring against movement.

, In testimony whereof I have Signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses. GUS A.-'SCHULTZL WitnessesiALBERT G. KOHLMEYER, AUGUST F. REHWINKEL.

